Niclas y Glais
Union of Britain |party= Autonomists |events= }}Thomas Evan Nicholas ''', who uses the bardic name '''Niclas y Glais, is a Welsh poet and leader of the Autonomist faction of the Trade Union Congress of the Union of Britain. History Early life Niclas was born at Blaunwaun Felen in Llanfyrnach parish, north Pembrokeshire. He left Pembrokeshire in 1897 and worked briefly in Treherbert in the Rhondda. Around the turn of the 20th century, he entered the ministry and he received his three-year training for this at the Gwynfryn Academy (Ysgol y Gwynfryn), Ammanford, under Watcyn Wyn and Gwili John Jenkins. Niclas joined the Independent Labour Party in 1905. He was a close friend and supporter of James Keir Hardie, the founder of the Independent Labour Party. Like Hardie, Niclas was both a Christian socialist and a committed pacifist. Niclas acted as Hardie's election agent in 1910 and, at Hardie's request, Niclas served as the first Welsh editor of the ILP’s Merthyr Pioneer from its first appearance in 1911. In January 1914 Niclas left Glais to become Minister to two chapels in rural Ceredigion, Wales. The Weltkrieg When the Weltkrieg broke out, Hardie and Niclas both opposed it. Within a few days of Britain going into the war Hardie was speaking against it in his own constituency but was shouted down by the crowd, who supported the war. Hardie died on 26 September 1915, aged only 59. Niclas delivered the sermon at Hardie's memorial service at Aberdare. Niclas led the Welsh branch of the "No Conscription Fellowship," an anti-Weltkrieg organisation who, among other prominent socialist supporters, included Philip Snowden. Niclas continued to oppose the War throughout its duration, leading to the authorities taking an interest in his activities and seeking evidence of treason. In the General Election of 1922, Niclas was invited by the Labour Party's left-wing to stand in the Aberdare division of Hardie's old Merthyr Tydfil seat. Niclas campaigned on socialist and pacifist positions. He was badly mistreated. He won the seat and became the Member of Parliament for the constituency of Merthyr Tydfil in Glamorgan. The British Revolution He completely supported the revolution, seeing it as the beginning of liberation for the industrial and agricultural workers of Wales. After parliament evacuated to Canada, he became one of the few remaining radicals of the Labour party left, helping to pass the unprecedented act that would abolish both houses of Parliament and the United Kingdom itself, officially proclaiming the Union of Britain on 3 June 1925. During the TUC formation of the Union of Britain, and after heavily campaigning for the Union to be more of a federation where Scotland and Wales could achieve independence, he famously stormed out of the TUC proclaiming, "The Welsh worker's day of liberation shall soon come!" Personal Life He is a prolific poet. The main themes of his poetry are injustice, the battle between the working class and the power of capital, and pacifism. He was incarcerated at Swansea prison for his socialist views and the books of poetry, "Canu'r Carchar" (Prison Songs) and "Llygad y Drws" (referring to the eye-hole in the prison cell door) were written while in prison. He also translated The Internationale as well as the Union's anthem, The Red Flag, into Welsh. He has also been writing a new poem for the upcoming TUC elections, to help rally the Welsh voters to his side in his plans for Welsh autonomy/independence titled; '' 'Weithwyr Cymru, Cenwch eich hunain i ryddid (Workers of Wales - Sing Yourselves to Freedom).' '' Poetry * Salmau'r Werin (The Psalms of the People), (1909) * Cerddi Gwerin (Songs for the People), (1912) * Cyflog Byw (A Living Wage), (1913) * Cerddi Rhyddid (Songs of Freedom), (1914) * Nadolig Arall (Another Christmas), (1915) * Dros Eich Gwlad: Cerddi Heddwch (For Your Country: Songs of Peace), (1920) * Y Gân Ni Chanwyd (The Song not Sung), (1929) Category:People Category:Europeans Category:British-related topics